Houston Food Bank

Friends - as most of you are aware, Jasmine and I have been prominent at the Houston Food Bank as volunteers - however with Covid 19 we haven’t been on location to help and their demand for food has increased considerably with reduction of 55% in volunteers. One day in March 1,076,243 pounds of food was distributed from the Houston Food Bank's warehouse to its partners in response to increased need by the pandemic - that is 239% increase of a typical day's distribution.

So Jasmine and I have made a personal goal to raise funds to support during this crisis. Jasmine is donating $1 for every person who donated from her savings account ( she thinks she is going to get 500 donations lol and she will be depleting her savings account) and I will match the donation received here with my company match if needed!

Thank you for your support and even a $5 donation will provide 3 meals for a much needed family.

Jasmine and Akilla

WE ARE AT THE $5,000 GOAL.  THE FUNDRAISER WILL REMAIN OPEN BUT DONATIONS WILL NOT BE TRIPLE MATCHED PAST THIS POINT.  Phew! I didn't think that Goal would actually happen, but what a wonderful thing you have all done!

Want to triple your donation to the Houston Food Bank?

Your $1 will equal $3!
Your $10 will equal $30!
Your $5,000 will equal $15,000!
                                     Say what? 

Whatever you donate my wife (Angela - below) will match (up to $5,000), whatever Angela donates, her company will match (up to $5,000). It’s a win-win-win!

All I’m going to do is try and run a 55k/34.2mile Ultra Marathon for the first time.  It scares the life out of me to be honest but I will either finish it (yeah!) or experience the sweet kiss of death, so it’s a win either way.  Oh, and it’s on my 55th birthday, so 5-6hrs of running around Memorial Park should get it in the top ten of my list of bad ideas. 

Will you join me in making a difference? If you can’t donate that’s OK, but please blast it around your social media, and send it to your celebrity friends, to make sure we spend all of Angela’s money!  Re Tweet/Gram/FaceBook/LinkedIn/Spam everyone

Why am I raising money for Houston Food Bank?  Well, food insecurity is a huge challenge today and there is nothing as human or as direct as providing a meal to someone.  Let’s be as human as we can be!

Whether your passionate about supporting those impacted by the pandemic, unemployment, mental health issues, addiction, or discrimination based on religion, sexuality, gender, disability, or race, the Houston Food Bank serves them all for you gladly.

You name it and any donation will help make an impact. Thank you in advance for your contribution.  

More information about Houston Food Bank: Houston Food Bank's mission is to provide food for better lives. In the last fiscal year, which includes COVID-19 response, we provided access to 159 million nutritious meals in 18 counties in southeast Texas through our 1,500 community partners. Filling gaps on plates, we have a strong focus on healthy foods and fresh produce. Food Bank is a certified member of Feeding America, the nation's food bank network, with a four-star rating from Charity Navigator.

Every dollar that you contribute will feed 3 people. If we can raise $7,000; you can be part of feeding 21,000 people here in Houston. Want to join me in making a difference? I'm raising money to benefit Houston Food Bank, and any donation will help make an impact. Thanks in advance for your contribution to this cause that means so much to me. 

More information about Houston Food Bank: Leading the fight against hunger. In fall 2008, the Houston Food Bank merged with End Hunger Network, a Houston-area food rescue organization, thus making more effective use of community resources by working together as one. In fiscal year 2016-2017, the Houston Food Bank distributed 83,000,000 nutritious meals through its network of 600 partner agencies. The vision for the future is to expand service to the community to 100,000,000 nutritious meals by 2018.

UPDATE: As of May 5, I am no longer scheduling shoots for the Texas Front Porch Project. However, this GoFundMe campaign is still accepting donations. If you are interested in a front porch family portrait please contact me on this site for my session rates.  


Over the last few weeks, the brutal realities of the global pandemic has put far too many of us at risk -- for our safety and our livelihoods. But as with everything in life, it’s also been a time for families to reconnect  and rediscover what’s truly important in life.

And that’s what I want to capture!

As a professional photographer, I have spent more than 20 years documenting the times that make a difference in people’s lives. And this time is no different.

Here’s the deal. I want to take a few photos of you and your family (animals included) on your front porch, doing what you’re doing to get through this madness. After your quick “photo session”, I will make your portrait available for you to download. In exchange, I am asking you to make a good faith donation to Houston Food Bank. Also, I will add your family front porch photo to Facebook and Instagram using the hashtags #TexasFrontPorchProject and #LunaluxTx.

Don’t worry, this is not about dressing up for a family portrait. I want to see what y’all are doing to make the most of your ‘stay home’ time. Show me your planking. Grab the family dog. Wear your jammies and pour yourself a glass of wine. You get the idea. 

My intention for this project is to bring us together in spirit when we can’t be together in person. Joining me in this project is also your opportunity to be of service to our Houston families -- your gift helps provide urgently needed meals during this crisis.

Again, in exchange for the digital file of your family portrait, I ask you to make a good faith donation to the Houston Food Bank. Suggested donation is $50 but any amount is appreciated.

Tips are welcomed! Venmo:  Shannon Valentine @lunalux

People in the Greater Houston area, as everywhere, are challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hundreds of businesses have closed and thousands of people have lost their jobs and need help.  Many are hungry.  The images of cars lined up for hours to receive donations from the Houston Food Bank at NRG Stadium are shocking, but they reveal just how grave the situation is. 

Photo credit: Mark Mulligan

The unprecedented demand equals an urgent need for funding. 

Because of the extent of the current crisis, I want to do more.

I plan to fast for 48 hours to raise $5000.  From 10 a.m. on Tuesday, April 21 till 10 a.m. on Thursday, April 23, I plan to take in nothing but water.

This is my symbolic effort to experience the pain felt by my fellow Houstonians who lack food.  It will be a time for me to reflect on what hunger means, and to renew my dedication to helping alleviate it.  

Please support this effort by donating today.  I will be providing video updates of my 48-hour fast where I'll talk a bit about the thoughts and feelings I have along the way.  Please support the Houston Food Bank with your donation today, and spread the word on your Facebook page and elsewhere.  Let's reach that $5000 goal quickly!

Learn more about the Houston Food Bank's work here:

Many of you may know Christine Ha as the blind cook who won season 3 of MasterChef in 2012, earning the praises of Gordon Ramsay along the way. But while Christine is undoubtedly savvy with a knife, how is she with a pair of clippers?

Since the social distancing advisory started in mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic, like many of you, Christine and her husband have been staying at home in Houston. John, a creature of habit, used to get his hair professionally cut every three weeks on the dot. Now that salons and barbershops have been closed for several weeks, John hasn’t been able to get a haircut for almost two months. Every day, he complains about his bushy head and how he’s literally itching for a haircut.

Christine, being the ever generous wife, has offered to cut his hair. The problem? She can barely see and has never used clippers in her life! But John is getting desperate. And after a friend said he would gladly pay money to watch Christine blindly cut John’s hair, the idea was born. Why not help those in need with this potentially hilarious deed?

Christine and John would like to take this opportunity to raise funds for their local food bank. Founded in 1982, the Houston Food Bank is the largest in the nation and serves 104 million meals annually in 18 southeast Texas counties. Since the Stay At Home order began last month, food banks have seen a substantial rise in people seeking assistance to feed their families.

Once the fundraising goal is met, Christine will take clippers to John’s head and livestream the blind haircut on Instagram and Facebook. 100% of the proceeds will go to the Houston Food Bank. Please consider contributing to a good cause while being entertained by Christine’s haircutting stunt. John will thank you (maybe)!

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More information about Houston Food Bank: Leading the fight against hunger. In fall 2008, the Houston Food Bank merged with End Hunger Network, a Houston-area food rescue organization, thus making more effective use of community resources by working together as one. In fiscal year 2016-2017, the Houston Food Bank distributed 83,000,000 nutritious meals through its network of 600 partner agencies. The vision for the future is to expand service to the community to 100,000,000 nutritious meals by 2018.